Cap filler: Sydney get nod on Tippett

Jake Niall

KURT TIPPETT'S path to Sydney in Tuesday's pre-season draft is assured after the AFL informed the Brisbane Lions and Greater Western Sydney that those clubs did not have sufficient room in their salary caps to accommodate Tippett's nominated price and did not allow them to see details of the Tippett contract demands.

The Lions and Giants both had significant room in their total player payments, but were still some distance from the amount for 2013 that would have to be included if they met Tippett's four-year fee, which was to be about $3.55m before Tippett received his 11-match suspension for draft and salary cap offences; if Tippett's 2013 fee has been lowered after his suspension it remains hefty enough to be beyond the reach of Sydney's competitors.

Under the rules, clubs have to provide the AFL with estimates of what their salary cap will be for the next season. The AFL then tells the clubs if they have room to participate in the pre-season draft. In this case, the AFL has informed the Lions and Giants that they would not be able fit Tippett into their total player payments (TTP).

Thus, Brisbane and GWS were not permitted to see the four-year arrangement that Tippett has negotiated with the Swans and nominated as his terms. Gold Coast, the other potential suitor, is not pursuing Tippett either.

The Lions are understood to have had as much as $500,000-$600,000 remaining in the salary cap and a further amount of $250,000-$350,000 in the Additional Services Agreements, the capped payments made to players for promoting sponsors and the club.

But while Brisbane conceivably could have come close to matching Tippett's fee for 2013, perhaps $800,000-900,000 - by combining the two forms of capped payments - Tippett is believed to have set out terms that put all, or nearly all, of his contract in the salary cap. While this appears to be a clever tactic of his management and the Swans, to ensure he gets to the club of his choice.

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Tippett and his management were aware of the parameters of what Brisbane could pay and the likely breakdown of salary cap and ASA, having seen an official offer from the Lions when they were among the clubs pitching for him in October.

The Swans have pushed Tippett in the pre-season, rather than national draft, in the knowledge that it is much harder for rival bidders to find the extra room for such an expensive player after the national draft, when clubs have to put in their estimates. The clubs put in their salary cap estimates on November 29, a week after the national draft.

The Giants were also unwilling to pay Tippett at the rate he will be paid with the Swans, bearing in mind their enviable key forward tandem of Jeremy Cameron and Jonathan Patton, the highly capable youngsters who have been earmarked as the club's answer to Jason Dunstall and Dermott Brereton.

GWS will re-draft ruckman Dean Brogan, who has coaching duties with the club, and select Bret Thornton in the pre-season draft, which will be immediately followed by the rookie draft.

■ Troubled ex-Melbourne forward Liam Jurrah faces at least a year in AFL exile after Port Adelaide ruled out punting on him in the pre-season or rookie drafts.

The 24-year-old, who walked out on the Demons at the end of this year's season, is due to face court in Alice Springs next March over assault charges. He has trained with the Power in recent weeks.

But Port football manager Peter Rohde said injury concerns and Jurrah's off-field troubles had put them off drafting him.

The Power have instead offered him a spot with their SANFL club, help with his court battle, assistance regaining fitness and a promise they will consider recruiting him for 2014.